This invention relates to an inspection system for process equipment for treating substrates, such as, for instance, semiconductor wafers or flat panel displays.
During the performance of a process treatment on substrates such as semiconductor wafers or flat panel displays, a strict control of the process parameters is required. Therefore process treatment typically takes place in a process chamber which is closed to the surroundings. Such a process chamber can be a vacuum chamber. To ensure a controlled process, the process chamber is provided with fixedly arranged sensors, for instance for measuring the temperature and the pressure. These sensors can be arranged in the chamber itself but it is also possible that the sensors are arranged outside the chamber and measure via a window provided in the wall of the chamber. When sensors are fixedly arranged in the process chamber, the sensors must be resistant to the process conditions used. This imposes a limitation on what sensors can be used for this purpose. The arrangement of sensors outside the process chamber and measuring through a window likewise imposes limitations on what sensors can be used and what quantities can be measured with them. In some processes, such as those where a thin layer is deposited on the substrates, the equipment is subject to fouling and regular servicing is required. It is then important that such maintenance be performed at the right time: not too soon, which would lead to unnecessarily high costs and to reduced availability of the equipment, nor too late, which would lead to poor process results and product rejection. The possibility of visually inspecting the interior of the process chamber would lead to a better determination of the moment of maintenance. A camera permanently arranged in the process chamber is naturally subject to the same fouling as the process chamber itself and the question is if a proper observation could be made with it. In addition, the question is if such a camera would survive the process conditions of elevated temperature, reactive gases, vacuum and the like. Also, in special circumstances, there may be a need to measure parameters in the process chamber such as temperature, pressure, gas concentration, ionization degree of the gas, and the like, this in addition to, or for comparison with, the information supplied by the fixedly arranged sensors. Normally, it is not possible to perform such additional measurements without making the process chamber accessible for inspection through disassembly. Another need for an inspection possibility occurs in programming the substrate transport mechanism which transports the substrates in such process equipment from an input station to the process chamber and back again. The substrate must then be accurately deposited in the correct position in the process chamber. During programming, visual control is a requirement. This means that the programming of the substrate transport mechanism must take place with the chamber disassembled. As an alternative, the visual control can take place through the window. The question is, however, how accurately a visual control can be done through a window, in view of light diffraction.
The object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the above problems and to provide an inspection system with which at any time the interior of the process chamber can be inspected, or with which measurements in the interior of the process chamber can be carried out without the necessity of dismounting the process chamber.
This object is achieved in that the inspection system comprises a sensor which is provided with a transmitter for wireless communication and a receiver disposed outside the process device, while the sensor provided with a transmitter is arranged on a support having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the substrates to be treated.
When the process device is provided with a transport mechanism for transporting the substrates, the support with the wireless sensor arranged thereon can be transported from outside the process chamber to the interior of the process chamber and vice versa in the same manner as the substrates to be treated.
The invention also relates to a sensor provided with a transmitter for wireless communication, for inspecting the interior of a process device for treating substrates, the sensor being arranged on a support having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the substrates to be treated. Such a sensor can be applied fruitfully in an inspection system according to the invention.
The invention further relates to a method for inspecting the interior of a process device for treating substrates, wherein the process device is provided with an input/output station for the input/output of substrates, at least one process chamber for treating substrates and substrate transport means for transporting the substrates from the input/output station to the process chamber and vice versa, wherein a sensor provided with a transmitter is placed on the input/output station and is transported with the substrate transport means to the interior of the process device for performing the inspection, wherein during the inspection the transmitter transmits a signal which can be received with a receiver disposed outside the process device, and wherein after completion of the inspection the sensor is placed on the input/output station again with the substrate transport means.
With such a method, the interior of a process chamber of the process equipment can be inspected in a highly efficient manner. Moreover, the operation of the substrate transport means can be inspected during use without the housing or the like needing to be removed.
According to a further elaboration of the invention, the method is characterized in that programming of the substrate transport mechanism takes place during the visual inspection, on the ground of the information supplied by the camera. Further, according to a further elaboration of the method according to the invention, adjustment of the process device can take place during inspection, on the ground of the information supplied by the sensor.
In a process device for machined treatment of substrates, the substrates are supplied while placed in cassettes. According to the invention, on such a substrate, a wireless sensor is fitted. Instead of a standard substrate, also a special sensor support can be used, such that the external dimensions are substantially equal to those of a standard substrate, so that the sensor support can be carried to the process chamber by the substrate transport mechanism and that the sensor support fits in a substrate position in the process chamber. For the sensor support, instead of the usual substrate material, a different material can be chosen, for instance aluminum, or another metal or an alloy or glass. On the upper side of the support, the sensor can be provided. An example of such a sensor is the video telemetry capsule endoscope as described in Gavriel Iddan et al. in Nature, Vol. 405, May 2000, p. 417. This camera capsule has no external connections by means of wires, glass fiber cables or other physical connections. The dimensions are 11xc3x9730 mm. The capsule is provided with a battery and a transmitter which transmits in the UHF range. The UHF signal is received by one or more antennas connected with a receiver. The receiver can be connected with a storage system for storing the received images or with a Video imaging system for reproducing the images or with a computer. A telemetric system for the wireless transfer of the signal utilizes, according to the prior art, a pulse code modulation (PCM) method. The above-described camera capsule is used for inspecting the stomach wall of a patient. To that end, the patient swallows the capsule and the UHF signal transmitted by the capsule is received with antennas fitted on the body. In due course, the capsule leaves the body by the usual route via the gastrointestinal tract. In this way, such an inspection can be carried out without requiring surgical intervention.
When such a sensor fitted on a support is used in the interior of a process device, the antenna can be disposed outside the process device. Depending on the thickness and nature of the material of the walls of the process device, however, it may be necessary for a proper reception to dispose the antenna in the interior of the process device, while the signal is brought outside by means of a signal line and a lead-through.
For the wireless transfer of the signal, instead of the more conventional radio techniques, the world standard xe2x80x9cBluetoothxe2x80x9d technology can be utilized. The Bluetooth technology utilizes a radio signal in the frequency band of 2.4 to 2.48 GHz, applies a spread spectrum, frequency jumping and a complete duplex signal with 1600 frequency jumps per second. The signal jumps between 79 frequencies located at a mutual interval distance of 1 MHz to achieve a high degree of interference immunity. This technology is especially suitable for signal transfer over a short distance, 10 m, and is optionally suitable for signal transfer over a medium-range distance, 100 m. An example of an application is given in U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,588 in the name of O""Neill. The advantage of a transmission system according to the Bluetooth technology is that the chips required therefor are particularly compact and energetically economic. Moreover, since this technique focuses on consumer applications, the costs of these chips will be low.
As a further alternative to wireless transfer, use can also be made of infrared signal techniques, for instance according to the standard IrDA, known to those skilled in the art. The disadvantage of infrared techniques, however, is that a line of sight is necessary, penetrable for infrared light.
In addition to the example of a camera mentioned, many other sensors are conceivable. For instance sensors for temperature, pressure, concentration of gas, ionization degree of a gas, acceleration and other quantities. The use of the same technique for manufacturing sensors as for manufacturing integrated electronic circuits leads to the situation that many compact and energetically economical sensors are available and are becoming available. These sensors are in particular suitable for use according to the invention.
What has been contemplated for the application of the invention is, in particular, process equipment for treating silicon wafers. Such wafers are costly and a proper control of the process equipment is of eminent importance. This applies in particular to wafers having a large diameter, for instance 200 mm, or the largest wafer currently in use, 300 mm. The sensor can be provided on a wafer, together with a transmitter and an energy supply. The energy supply can consist of a battery. To be considered as an alternative is a solar cell, in which case the process device must provide for irradiation with light. When the substrate is a silicon wafer, the sensor and/or the transmitter can also be provided in, instead of on, the wafer, by means of the technique for manufacturing electronic circuits.
It is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,576 discloses a wireless measuring system which, in a vapor deposition system, during vapor deposition, measures the temperature and resistance of the vapor deposited layer on a reference substrate, while outside the vapor deposition chamber a receiver is disposed. In this vapor deposition system, the measuring system is mounted on a movable substrate holder which during vapor deposition is moved to improve the uniformity of the vapor deposited layer. However, the measuring system described in this U.S. patent specification is large compared with the substrate and is connected with the position of the reference wafer. In the above U.S. patent specification, it is not described that the substrate itself can serve as a support of the sensor, so that the substrate provided with a sensor can be transported with the substrate transport mechanism through the process device to any substrate position in the system. Moreover, in this known apparatus, it is not the process equipment itself that is inspected, but the layer which is formed with this equipment.